The recent growth of miniaturization in the electronic field has given rise to a need for self contained units which are ready to mount into an existing work envelope or for use in pick and place machinery and robotic work stations whenever and wherever reliable parts delivery is required. In addition to providing steady and dependable delivery of parts to a given work site, it is extremely important that the part be correctly oriented and strategically aligned so that it can properly interface with other systems including pick and place machinery and like robotics to ensure that each part is where it should be when it should be and arrives oriented as it should be so that preset scheduling of an efficient production line can be maintained.
One of the major problems in existing vibratory feeders, particularly those intended for use in automatic pick up or robotic works cells in the assembly of integrated circuit boards and like electronic applications, is the frequent misorientation or misalignment of critical parts and the general lack of reliability present in existing machines.
Accordingly, a serious need exists in industrial assembly lines and particularly those line integrated surface model electronic applications for a new and improved device which can enhance the reliability and dependability of such machines and enable them to contribute to the overall efficiency of the assembly production line.
One of the serious disadvantages of the prior vibratory feeders which have been prepared with flat steal springs arises from their inability to control the machine and orient the surface mounted components. Flat springs as designed provide for radial movement and create excessive activity in a situation where linear activity is all that is required or desired. It has been further found and will hereinafter appear in greater detail that the device of the present invention is directed not only to the solution of the prior art pattern problems but provides a reliability and exactness heretofore unobtainable by prior art devices.